Thin Air
by OrionsBell
Summary: Sometimes, Steve really wishes someone-anyone really, would just give him a straight answer as to when he could see his brother again. It's not like villagers going missing to strange shadows he over-heard Notch talking about has anything to do with it, right? In which Herobrine is not the monster Minecraftians fear and Steve just wants to know the truth of his brothers "death".
1. Prologue

**A/N: Oh, Well hello there. Fancy meetin' you here isn't it? **

**Soooooo I can honestly well and truly say I have no idea how to do this, and I suppose it's an… **_**experiment**_** of sorts that I'm testing out here. This is one of those stories where you're all aw heck ya I have this, and it turns out you only have this awesome tragic ending and **_**no way to build up to it**_** *froths*. Will I update this? Maybe? Maybe Not? Oh well, if I do something wrong **_**please**_** do not hesitate to tell me via comment or however. Have fun I guess kiddies **

Pre-dawn. The sky is cool and gray.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

A thin cloud slid out of the shadows mouth, the air just cold enough to create the cool wispy tendrils that chilled the moisture gathering around its snout and damp nostrils.

_So so alive._

Overhead is gray and light, not a dark gloom of an on-coming storm. The clouds all mixing together to form a thin sheet of indistinguishable shapes.

Soft, brisk morning air floods its nostrils and lungs, pushing life through it in a _pump-pump_, and a small part of it is aching _so so alive_. A dark form flits from island to island, strong, lithe forearms and haunches working together in well-oiled silent grace.

Strange, how up here the trees are so different and the grass no longer emerald green.

_Find them._

_Find them._

_Find them._

The mantra beats in the forms head as it props open its jaws and allows the thin pre-dawn air of the Aether breeze past its parted lips.

_Still no scent._

The shadow-like form lands on a nearby smaller island, where to a passerby it is no more than a trick of the light. It slides unconsciously over the dewy crystal lush grass and undergrowth.

Hiding itself, non-existent.

Dark wolf-like ears sprout out of the foliage, twitching as they listened to the silence of complete and utter still of a not-quite waking world.

_Where are you?_

A head bursts from the undergrowth -sudden and sharp- topping off an erect long and ridged neck, eyes and ears focused ahead, completely still.

Listening.

Frozen.

_Do it again, make another sound._

_I'm listening._

…

_I can hear you._

Once again the mouth slightly parts, sucking in the thin, slightly moist air, smelling. The air washes against the scent glands at the top of its pinkish gums- a sharp contrast to the color of its body. It is so still that it seems to melt into the environment. Completely natural, as if it had always been there and was never apart, motionless.

The head and neck flash back into the foliage and the form is gone, springing across the heavenly islands in search of its targets.

So, so fast.

_I found you._

The sounds of muffled squeals and laughter begin to grow louder and louder as clawed feet hardly touch the ground in its pursuit, soaring over islands as though flying.

Two of them.

Two innocent, childlike voices now ring against the forms sensitive ears as it _breathes breathes breathes _the cool, free air.

The form slinks up the side off a tree, hardly a shadow, and watches the children with its unblinking glowing eyes.

_Two boys the master said._

The only indication of its being there are thin puffs of clouded air from its nostrils. The creature watches, its predatory body wrapping around the gray trees bark-y branches. A light breeze has picked up, hardly enough to rustle the leaves, and tickles along the creatures' body. Down its sensitive under-neck and around its shoulder blades.

Observing.

_Twins._

The children are alike in everything but eye color.

The twin brothers are_ squealing_ and _laughing _and tumbling over each other with child-like disregard to the deathly heights of the island they play upon.

_Innocent._

_**Free.**_

The creature watches, mismatched glowing eyes narrowing further and further until they are hardly slits.

Calculating.

The children have no inkling to the predators presence, while instead the brother with the azure eyes has either found the grass so interesting that it has earned the honor of having him lather his face all over it, or the other twin sought his brother needed more green in his diet.

Likely the ladder as the pale-eyed twin has exploded into giggles and is clutching his stomach as though it's about to run from him. Well then.

Even from its vantage point among the chilled leaves on a separate but close island, the shadowed figure can see that they truly are that, brothers. Leaping and giggling onto one another it is obvious they would be more than content to remain that way for rest of the long day. With each other.

_Hello little ones._

The dark neck once again lengthens out, erect, dragging some of its body along until only its rear clawed feet and long tail wrapped around its chosen branch, calculating.

Its head now fully emerged from the foliage, still and nightmarish, observing, _choosing,_ the lips once again peel back, this time to expose pearly, saber-like teeth and large incisors dripping glassy pink liquid down its jaw.

So innocent.

_Which one._

The twins continue to role with one another, kicking and fighting off imaginary beasts as knights in shining armor.

_So, so __**free**__._

A thin band of light breaks through the clouds sheets, illuminating the light layer of fog until it is dusted gold and reflects off the dewy trampled grass the twins play upon, where it catches the light like their own personal sun's. Thin air coming in soft rapid puffs out their mouths and noses to twist into the light golden fog.

_Which one?_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh? You're still here? *wiggles* I honestly wasn't expecting you to still be here O/O, I wasn't even thinking of continuing this *wiggle*. But you know what happened? Do you **_**know**_**. What. Happened? *whispers*: **_**My senpai's noticed me **_***wiggle storm*. I don't know what to say... Aside from the fact I wouldn't shut up about it for a little while.**

**Oh don't mind me, just walking down the hall and MY **_**SENPAI'S**_** NOTICES **_**ME.**_

**So updates I guess will be **_**erotic**_** and completely random, considering I still have no idea what I'm doing. No promises though, this is just as confusing to me as it'll likely be to you, sooooo have fun with that kiddies. My story will contain some oc's later on (now ***_**cough***_**), then again this is a minecraft fanfic, so that's a given. This story will also contain some cursing, just in case. Again let me know if I do anything wrong with this, and thank you guys for the reads.**

"I'm telling you they can!"

"I think you're missing the point of that phrase."

"Everyone says it!"

"Did you hit your head? Again?" 

"It had to come from somewhere, and where would that somewhere be- oh, yeah, that's right, a first person experience!"

"It's a figure of speech, Ray"

"Still!"

"I think you need to lie down."

Steve's iron pickaxe came down against the cave wall he chipped it against. They're venture down the shaft hadn't been for naught -lapis, lots of iron, even a couple of diamonds- just _tiring_. Two sleepless nights, non-stop mining, and a hyperactive sugar-high travelling partner could _not_ have been good for his health. Scratch that, it _wasn't._

Readjusting his grip on the rough wooden handle, Steve swung the tool once again against the stone wall in his attempts to get to the precious metal on the other side, relishing in the familiar vibrations that jarred his forearms and elbows. He had spotted it on their way down, and he'd be damned if he passed the opportunity of extra gold. Although he himself had no use for it, the village smithy had personally pleaded for it, claiming he was running low on the yellow ore.

Steve took a moment to lean wearily over his pickaxe and swipe a grimy hand over his sweaty brow, absently admiring how the iron metal dully glinted and reflected the popping lava pit nearby. Did it _really_ have to be so _hot_? The dry air was beginning to burn his otherwise resilient lungs.

Not that he was complaining horribly-honest! He was just _exhausted, _the heat was getting to him, and he was starting to get a migraine.His sugar-hyped travelling partner wasn't helping any, either. Maybe he was coming down with something…

Speaking of which, said partner was _still _rambling.

"-can fly! Wouldn't that be, like, the most majestical thing to ride into the village on?"

Steve sighed and scrubbed the side of his face where the lavas heat and glow caressed the most. He shoulda' known he'd get stuck in what his friend liked to call a Ray-land-ramble.

"Jericho," Steve called his excitable friend by the first name, "How many _majestical_ flying pigs have we met this year, or last year, or Notch forbid- _any_ time before that? And shouldn't you be keeping watch while I bust my back for the both of us?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Steve glimpsed his sprawled friend propped against some gravel stacks, absently twiddling some arrow tips with a goofy smile stretched across his tanned face.

Jericho –known as Ray to most of their village- was easily one of Steve's best friends, if not _the _best. Ray was the kind of person folks gravitated to_ -'moths to a flame,' _Steve idly wondered, reflecting on his friend's strange molten orange and crimson like eyes- and _boy _did he know it. Flouncing through their quaint little village singing off key at the top his lungs for any great _something _that _graced_ him that day. A _door_ could keep this man busy for hours. He'd once sung about falling out of his bed to a traveling merchant, going so far as to yodel into the man's carrot like it was a microphone from the city.

Nevus to say, Steve hadn't seen the merchant again.

Shame too, he could've gone for another diamond pick.

Ray was busying himself now with polishing some of his black leather hilt knives, jittery and humming while he ran his hands through his wavy dark hair every now and then.

Steve himself never understood his friends need for _so _many weapons. Given the scenario, Ray was a deadly, and Steve meant _deadly _opponent. Although a master at dagger-play, Ray was overly fond of his bow he'd named Kay. A classic wooden bow with a swirling wind pattern that worked with the grain and metal tips at the ends where string met wood.

_Makes sense_,_ last thing his sister gave him._

That thought definitely set his stomach off, sending Steve reeling a little and harboring a rush of bad memories with it. _You should have gotten over this by now._

Steve gritted his teeth._ Don't think about it._

He once again set about swinging at the wall in quick, harsh swings. Shattering the stone in practiced movements and moving closer to his goal. The intense heat waved off the pit next to him and illuminated the side of his face, casting a shadow on the other and the dry air began to dry his lungs, warm sweat running down his face and into his azure eyes.

_Don't think about it Stevie. Don't think about it._

Despite his wishes, memories attempted to invade his subconscious.

The day he met a young orphan Ray, not long after his own little family lost a member. The dim villager who caught sight of the two of them getting to know each other. '_Of course they drift together,' the landowner had scoffed,' If I were their folks I'd get rid of 'em too.' _The same day Ray broke that man's nose.

At the time the attacks hadn't seemed real, a rumor, an excuse to scare their children into bed before the sun went down and a reason for the thrill seekers to play chicken with their friends. Ghost stories of dangers aside the hostile mobs. _Stories._

Before some people stopped coming back.

Before screamed pleads of: _"It was only a dare! They're still out there somewhere, they're just messing with us, right?" _in trembling desperate and regretful voices of previously cocky teens.

Before Ray lost his older sister, before Notch began to bring Steve to the Aether every full moon, when the world was at its darkest. Before there was this _fear-_

Steve's pickaxe shattered into a thousand pieces.

Steve grunted and woozily supported himself on the now severely damaged stone wall, glancing down he saw the shrapnel of his pickaxe through hazy half-lidded eyelids. The shiny gray metal reflected the lava pit beside him in each shard. Embers with _fire_ in their bellies and rolling and_ glinting _at Steve. We are no longer _together_, we are beautiful _ourselves_, they gazed at him.

_Why are we no longer together?_

Steve furiously whipped his head back and forth so hard he idly wondered how he didn't receive whiplash.

Vaguely, Steve became aware of Ray's off-key singing and all at once he was back to himself. Figures something Ray did would change a subject.

_Crap_, there goes my last pickaxe. Steve sighed to himself and glanced at the now lone stick hilt in his hand. The tip had splintered at the top where the metal head had broken off, no longer usable. Flinging it absently into the pit beside him, Steve readjusted his leather bag and began to walk back to where he had last seen Ray.

He could _really _go for a nice soft bed right now. And a steak, a steak sounded awesome.

Returning to the little opening he'd left Ray, he was greeted by the sight the raven-haired male attempting to do a hand stand with a face that could only be described as _Ray focus. _Eyes crossed and tongue sticking out; his face contorted in a mixture of begging and determination, his friend was pin wheeling one of his legs in an enthused arc while the other scrabbled for purchase on a nearby wall. Jericho's leather tunic slipped passed his belly like it was unveiling a _spectacular_ revealance to the world and could not wait for everyone to see it.

A sight Steve had seen one too many times.

"You have no shame, do you man?"

Ray's eyes uncrossed and he was given an _are you serious _look. Again, seen too many times.

"Really Steve, we've know each other how long? If you're just now assuming this it would make me the brain and you the charming hunk of awesome in our little duo, and truly that thought scares _me. _Not the me being in charge part, the hunk of awesome part, I'm _irreplaceable._"

Ray promptly lost his balance and flopped onto his belly, using the momentum to role a couple of blocks and spring to his feet. He shot Steve a grin that showed all his teeth.

"Ready to go, miner?"

Steve nodded in affirmation; he was _more _than ready for a break. He needed away and _now._ Away from shadows cast on the wall and broken pickaxe shards. Cracking his now-sore joints, he made his way after his friend down the torch lit tunnel, idly reflecting he'd have to give the smithy some of the gold he'd collected for himself.

It was simple moments like this Steve could get lost in his mining thoughts, nothing else. Just ores _ores ores._ Travelling together with Ray had become an unspoken rule with each other, one would go about their business mining or whatever whilst the other kept watch. A habit adopted originally for precaution that eventually became a ritual of sorts between the two friends unless one was in need of privacy. _Safety in numbers,_ he reflected. Made it safer to stay in your own head when someone else had your back.

So lost in his thoughts was Steve, he didn't notice Ray's sudden halt in movement until he slammed into the back of his tall friend.

Steve's arms whirled as he tried to get his balance righted only to ultimately fail miserably and land inelegantly on a rough patch of dirt with an oof.

"What the nether-"Steve muttered up at Ray, expecting an explosion of laughter and wheezes.

Insteed, ahead of him Ray had frozen, head angled slightly to the right and halted mid-step. Like he was looking for something, or _someone._ Concerned, Steve was about to question what was wrong when Ray whirled on him so fast it put Steve's head whipping earlier to shame.

"I forgot my watch," Ray pouted.

A couple moments of silence passed with Ray looking inquiringly at Steve and Steve blinking stupidly back, before it clicked.

"I am _not _walking all the way back there to get _your_ _watch, _Ray, you very nearly gave me a heart attack."

Ray pulled a kicked puppy face and bent till he was lying down on the cool stone below them of the cave floor. Inching toward Steve, he made large, watery eyes at his friend.

"Please?"

A staring contest ensued, Steve's blank and unamused blue eyes against Ray's fiery crimson orange pouty ones. Steve sighed, really, Ray might be an overgrown lap dog but he was a _stubborn _overgrown_,_ and that was saying something considering Steve had met a lot of stubborn people over the years.

"Fine," Steve muttered, he hauled himself to his feet and stomped off in the direction they'd come from.

Low and behold, there was Ray's watch, non-chalantly sitting on the ground like it had absorbed part of the oafs personality and reflecting orange in a dull gold light from the lava. The thought alone made Steve shudder.

A mini-Jericho was a problem Steve did _not _want to deal with for the rest of however long he lived. He had enough problems to deal with anyway.

Once again making his way down the tunnel, Steve muttered under his breath about flying pigs and Ray "falling" in a pond. _After_ his break and that steak, he promised himself.

"I should keep it for all the trouble you put me through to get this," Steve sighed upon his return.

Lifting his head to see Ray shooting him a Cheshire smile and zipping up his bag, Steve growled and promised himself his friend would be taking a swim when he was done with him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Soo I've had a bit of writers-block, my bad. Wow, this early on, that can't be a good thing O.O. Anyhow, this may be a **_**bit**_** confusing, but don't worry, it'll make sense next chapter :3**

A gentle breeze blew over the Aether, skimming over rocks and among the islands grasses, encouraging trees to bend and sway in the direction of its flow. A small herd of sheep rested along a steep drop off, unaffected by the few wispy clouds below them or distant fall, snowy coats glistening along with the moon.

The wind gusted into a small room, among which two children were sleeping curled on their sides, peacefully resting, no indication of foul dreams or worries rested on their relaxed expressions, safe and warm under their fort of blankets that tented around them.

Almost tenderly, the gust of wind ruffled over the boy's oak-brown hair and night clothes, twisting the feathery strands it blew up and tickling across their faces.

_So, so innocent._

The continuous _swish swish _of the wind began to wake one of the children. The boy drowsily began to open his eyes and blink repeatedly; brushing away the locks that had been blown into his blue orbs and stretching tiny arms above his head with a tremendous yawn that filled his small chest.

Steve let out a sigh, a small, content smile spread across his lips as the world finally came into focus and his senses came to him again from the realm of sleep. A small furry nudge to his fist pushed him fully back into reality, causing the smile to grow even wider and more amused.

Beside him lay his twin and other 'guard' of their room's makeshift fort; his twin currently smothered under the weight of their large wolf-dog puppy, Cobalt. The sight encouraged a giggle from his throat. Their puppy was more fluff than animal, a gift from the other Gods of the heavenly realm; a hybrid of an Overworld and Aetherian wolf that appeared to have dubbed his brother a worthy mattress.

_Slain by the mighty cotton ball._

Steve chuckled and once again grinned at the sight, now fully aware he would not easily be getting to sleep again, he figured he'd enjoy the spectacle while it lasted.

Glancing around him and his brother's shared quarters, Steve enjoyed the cool gentleness of the breeze from their window and reflected how they'd begun to share a room.

Originally, both the brothers had had their own rooms-still did for toys, trinkets and such. Comfortable, large rooms in the center of the mansion where both boys could easily cause all the mayhem young adrenal-induced children could get into. Rooms that were too far apart for the brothers liking. A situation that led to the two of them being found in the _oddest_ of places.

Sprawled In the hallway, hanging over the fridge, behind the couch-_under _the couch (however they'd managed that), the God's bedrooms, even outside. They're older brother, Notch had had a small panic attack when the two had been found curled together on _the roof_- even Steve wasn't sure how they'd done that one.

Eventually, the brothers were found sleeping close-together in one of the mansions stone-brick towers. A quaint little room that became popular to the twins -at the top with a stone floor and one wall completely opened to the world, offering the two a first-person view of the sunrise every morning.

Finally, Notch had caught the two boys sneaking into the room. To the boy's astonishment, instead of having carried them back to their own sleeping quarters, Notch had revealed a queen-sized mattress, claiming the stone floor would give his little brothers chills. The two had used the room ever since.

Now, Steve hauled himself to his elbows and enjoyed the cool air that tossed his hair and ruffled his clothes on the warm night. Peering one eye open, Steve once again observed his smothered brother and frowned, they're play today had resulted in him losing. He'd have to demand a re-match tomorrow.

Pushing the covers off himself, Steve slid the blanket forts pillow entrance to the side and attempted to silently pad across the cold floor to the staircase down the tower.

A groggy voice from the rooms' other occupant made him freeze.

"Steve? Where ya' goin'?"

Glancing over shoulder, Steve managed a small sheepish smile at his twin as he scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, I was just getting a glass of water, didn't mean to wake you Herobrine."

His brother was currently attempting to peer at him through the curtain of silver-gray fur that carpeted him like a second blanket. Normally bright, shining eyes were now dulled down and casted only the faintest of glows from their white sockets as his brother let out a tremendous yawn.

"Try not to choke on a furball, Hero," Steve giggled.

The shiny-eyed twin attempted to give his brother a disapproving snort, only to fail horribly when the furry tendrils whisked over his half-awake face and up his nose.

Steve smiled again and poked his tongue at his twin. A normal person may have seen Herobrine as the more outgoing of the two brothers, when in fact it was Steve that usually initiated their fun, a point many were surprised to figure out. Hero was actually the shyer of the two brothers, preferring to play only with Steve and Notch as opposed to other occupants of the Aether-violent though if one messed with his blanket or belongings.

"Ya wan' me ta' go wth ya'?" The bright-eyed twin managed to yawn out from his position under their puppy, flopping his head back down and peering at Steve through his fringe of hair.

Steve smiled assuredly at his brother, "Naw, I'll be back in a little Hero, don't worry about it."

That seemed to be all the encouragement the other needed as a quick mumbled 'night Steve' was thrown his way and his twin was once again out like a light.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes to the ceiling, Steve continued across the cold floor and down the stairs. The breeze that gently nudged at his back ceased its companionship further down the steps and instead continued in the room with the peacefully resting twin and wolf puppy.

Reaching a long corridor, Steve peered down hall to be sure none of the God's were still up to send him back to bed. Steve's feet made muffled noises against the maroon carpet flooring as he headed to the kitchen. No light was provided, save the moon's glow through the many windows that dawned Steve's right side, and a dimly lit redstone lamp every dozen or so blocks.

The moon's bluish light against the dull red of the redstone.

Above him by about six blocks, rafters were cloaked in darkness, the light from the lamps having difficulty reaching them and the windows ending before the bottom of the wooden planks.

Steve made a mock bow at one of the armor suits that lined the halls, sloppily saluting with a scrunched face and a hand on his hip before continuing his walk/march to the kitchen in the silent hall.

He and Hero often argued about the purpose of the shells of armor that decorated the hallways, squabbles that often ended in the two attempting to fit themselves in the suits while the other furiously tried to take it apart, a race of sorts. Now, late at night and no one around, Steve would never admit that the hollow sentinels frightened him.

That the small reflections in their chest plates spooked him and made the light a little more ominous when seen.

Steve snorted and paused a few blocks from the kitchen to look out the window. Standing on his tip-toes, a wondrous expression spread across his face as he gazed at the hardly moonlit large island, the place he and Hero grew up.

About half a mile out, an expanse of trees laid cloaked in shadow under the moon, branches and leaves crossing and mixing together to form one large stretch of woods that ended further out in a vertical drop to the Overworld.

Wistfully, a breath exhausted from Steve's mouth. He _wished_ he could go outside at night; play with only the moon to guide him.

A vacant expression took over Steve's face as he became lost in his thoughts, blue eyes still trained on the shadowy woodland when something odd struck the child.

Rubbing his eyes and squinting, Steve once again peered at the woods, only this time searching for what had caught his attention.

_Where is it? Where'd it go?_

Scrubbing his eyes again, Steve leant forward until his nose touched the cold, glass pane.

_I-I thought- where'd it go? Where'd i- There!_

Steve's eyes hardened, amongst the foliage, a part of the tree- a _shadow- _Steve corrected, was moving against the wind, flashing from the branches to continue elsewhere- appearing to get closer to the home. It wasn't one spot either, now that Steve knew what to be looking for, he became aware of other shadows hopping against the wind through the trees.

Eyes roving back to their original spot, Steve thought he could vaguely see two lights gleaming against the trees, _straight_ at _him_.

Whipping his head away from the window, Steve smacked his cheeks a couple of times and wide-eyedly looked out the window again.

_Nothing._

No jumping shadows.

Shaking his head, Steve quiveringly reached the kitchen, proceeding to one of the spruce cupboards. He _really _should stop eating sugar before he went to bed, like he'd been told a _bagillion_ times.

The kitchen shared similar light to that of the hallway, Steve climbed onto the counter -as his legs were still too short to reach- and snagged the nearest glass. He shot a look over his back.

Nothing.

Steve frowned; he could have _sworn _he heard something. Distracting himself, he observed his surroundings to get his mind off his odd hallucinations.

The kitchen was more of a hub than an actual kitchen, Steve reflected, safely able to fit five of him and Hero's current room in it five times over. Connected by no wall to a dining room, couches surrounded an oak coffee table that had seen its fair share of use and bar chairs were scooted under the kitchens island for occupants to sit on.

Jumping from the surface edge, Steve walked to the sink and filled his cup with cool water. He was _completely_ awake now and was just looking forward to lying back down on his soft mattress and _resting_.

Placing his glass on the cool marble surface of the kitchen island, Steve used both his hands to boost himself up onto the platform and sat with his legs dangling over the side; gulping a huge drink into his now-parched throat he relaxed his palms on the cool marble.

_Maybe I should bring some bread up for later_, Steve idly wondered.

Sighing, Steve rolled his head back over his shoulders and closed his eyes, face tilted to the dark rafters above him, and attempted to clear his mind. Deep, easy breaths could be heard from the child as he reassured himself.

Sighing softly, Steve prepped himself for the short journey back to his room and peeled his eyes open to observe the rafters.

Three blocks from him, water dripped from the dark ceiling in a steady _plip…plip, _to form the tiniest of accumulating puddles. Steve distractedly observed it before glancing out the window again to the clear moonlit landscape.

…_Wait a minute…_

Slowly, very, _very _slowly; Steve sat until his back was erect and his head swiveled to the dark ceiling where the 'water' dripped and plip'd to the small puddle.

_It's… not raining._

In the back of his mind, Steve processed that in the _Aether, _everything was spiffy, and a leaky roof wasn't the norm in this God-like portion of the world.

The more he thought, the faster his breaths puffed from his mouth and the harder his heart _beat_ and _pounded_ painfully against his ribs.

The more he looked at the area the 'water' came from, the more he was able to distinguish an almost-definite, shadowy shape slightly twisted on the rafter only _three blocks _from him. The 'shadow' appeared to fade in and out of focus the harder he stared at it, perfectly camouflaged to the darkness surrounding it.

Glancing again out of the accumulating puddle, Steve found it became harder and harder to swallow, his young mind not fully comprehending what was happening aside from the fact he was _scared._

The puddle of 'water' upon closer inspection was glassy and thin, slightly colored pink. Lying stagnant, it appeared to be an actual bead of dyed glass from one of the temples.

Squeezing his hands together, Steve desperately wished to call out for his older brother to come get him, tell him it was alright.

Instead, he managed to choke out a small,l croaky, "H-hello?"

He wished he hadn't.

Two glowing, mismatched eyes snapped wide open from the rafters and large, gleaming, saber-like canines reflected part of the moonlight soaking in from the window.

**A/N: So, Who's confused?**

**Thank you guys so much for the nice follows/favorites/reviews! I'm truly unworthy of all ya'll awesome people.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright, so here we go. Shadows, shadows, and- Oh look! More dark things on the wall- oh, just another shadow… haha. Bear with me on this, this is going to be an odd story when updated and I'm still working on the kinks, but have fun anyway if you wish to read ^^. Ya'll are really gonna hate me by the end of this story ahahaha.**

_N-Notch, B-b-rother. _

The child's lips moved in silent patterns, opening and closing to form words that failed to come out of his frozen throat, prepping themselves for a call of help that sat stone heavy in his stomach.

Above him, Steve was only faintly aware of the forms slow shifting and coiling around the dark rafter it camouflaged itself on, completely mesmerized by the intelligent glowing orbs that watched him of an unseen threat. Had he not been so frightened, Steve may have noticed his hands desperately clutching and _squeezing_ together or the ghost like pallor his skin had adopted. Instead, his body refused to function and his breath began to seize up in his lungs.

The eyes –being the only things he could safely distinguish in the dark kitchen aside from pearly white fangs- were sharp and predatory, the thin pupils of what he could make out were narrowed paper-thin slits against mismatched irises. The pupils themselves looked to be surrounded by a thin layer of molten gold, but the similarities of the predatory eyes ended there. The surrounding iris on Steve's right was a blazing crimson hellish color while the left was poison dull purple, flecked and smudged with more gold.

A whimper nudged its way past Steve's throat and he swallowed once, twice, three times before he grasped some of his senses again. The pent up air in his lungs leaving his mouth all at once in a heavy exhale that shuddered throughout his fragile body. Unconsciously, his mind attempted to come up with a name to the other being in the room, grasping for straws and combing through lessons the Gods had taught he and his brother of their living creations, both heavenly and non.

Nothing came to mind. No nocturnal shadow with glowing eyes and dripping fangs.

_What's the matter with you!? This is just a dream, has got to be a dream, don't be such a scaredy cat._

Despite his minds weak attempts at berating him, Steve only managed to unclasp one of his trembling hands from its partner and weakly attempt to pinch himself, his voice having failed and his body numb from his thoughts.

Under other circumstances, the child may have sought himself as weak in this situation, perhaps even ashamed of this fear. He and Hero often imagined themselves as fighting off their imaginary beasts and demons together, placing themselves in numerous scenarios where they came out _gloriously _victorious and the slayers of their night-terrors while their puppy growled and yipped after the pillows they tossed. Nothing could stop the two so long as they were with the other, an impossible and fearless duo.

Only, this time, he was alone, with no Herobrine for support, and, if his insistent pinching was anything to go by, no _dream_ to wake _from_. No Notch to come and round them up for lunch, no Gods his currently un-vocal chords could reach. The shadow before him made his senses_ scream_ and his body freeze for reasons he _didn't know_.

Now, he was afraid, alone, and in a large room with a shadow _thing_ he knew nothing about.

Slowly, Steve became aware of his quick fervent breathing and a dizziness that only came from lack of oxygen. Heaving in a large shuddering breath, he attempted to steady his breathing and regain use of his body. His panic-ridden small form struggling against his will and the instinct it was prey to this creature.

Eyes still glued in a staring contest with the mismatched orbs above him, Steve extended his hand out beside him in search of his glass, _anything_ to hold onto that was solid and under his control. A clinking rattling noise halted his limb in its tracks.

Above him, the rattling noise came from the area Steve assumed the rest of the forms body was; mistakable for hardy rain or hail pattering an iron roof; a constant _ch-ch-ch-ch-ch_ sounding over and over. The creaking noise of wood shifting was the only indication of the shadow shifting among the rafters; what Steve assumed was its head appeared to stretch closer to him as the eyes slowly but surely got larger in a way that signified a decrease and closing of space.

Finally, Steve's body triggered in fight or flight. He was off the kitchen island and halfway down a different hall before he knew what happened.

The hall he entered was just as long as the one he had taken to the kitchen, similar in design with the large armor shells and mahogany rug; dim redstone lights serving to cast his own eerie shadow; windows beside him offering the view of _more_ shadow forms _slithering_ up the shallow incline of moonlit field to the mansion.

For a fleeting moment, Steve was sure his heart stopped beating in his chest and time had ceased- no longer could he form a coherent thought aside from _run faster. _And run he did.

Steve's legs soared over each other in his desperation to get anywhere that was_ away, _speedily turning wheels that blurred together in the child's impressive speed and night clothes fluttering about his body_._ His lungs had locked and tightened to the point of bursting as his arms worked furiously at his sides, the air whooshing locks of hair from his face and chapping his lips.

Behind him, Steve's panicked senses picked up the rattling noise the thing had made earlier. The sound _rapidly_ moving closerand _closer_ to his position was his only clue of the predator's pursuit in the moon and redstone lit hall.

Steve's mouth unconsciously opened and closed, forming words that refused to present themselves and dooming him to incredible panic.

_Scream! _A tiny voice yelled in his head. A voice he couldn't respond to as his eyes happened to rove passed a gleaming suit in the hallway ahead of him, and his rational thinking abandoned him.

The reflection was like looking through distorted water; skewed and untrustworthy with the reddish light of the lamps and soft glow of the moon. Plain as his dark-adjusted eyes could see, a dark, slightly arrow shaped head with a gaping jaw and salivating saber teeth extended from a spiked neck that was preparing to close over his left shoulder.

Steve's wide, terrified eyes only had a second to process what he was seeing before his body slammed into the ancient armor suit he had only moments previous been observing what his shot mind believed to be its final sight, sending the large diamond suit crashing over him and to the floor.

The resounding crash was breathtaking in the previous silence of the hall, shattering Steve's heart-stopping panic to make way for crystal frightening clarity.

The impact of his speedily charging body's collision with the floor was by no doubt the cause of the snap he heard in his wrist and the white-hot pain it brought with it, but more concerning to his now lucid young mind was the body of… _something_ writhing furiously under the suit he had collided with and collapsed.

Springing to his feet, Steve's eyes imitated saucer plates at the sight of the predator that had been pursuing him. The thing was thrashing under the heavy suit armor that pinned most of its upper body to the floor, fading in and out of focus with a less than indefinite shape... His major awareness lied on darker than night scales and feather-like barbs that dawned the back of its horned head like a one sided mane, shadowy front limbs ended with a five fingered claw-paw… _thing _while its flailing rear legs screamed dragon-like reptilian.

Its body spasmed and bucked out of Steve's sight under the armor, clearly not anticipating this startling change of events. Steve had been within its jaws, fangs only a breath away from puncturing his shoulder and doing Aether knows what to him, and in the luckiest course of unfortunate events in his young life, the shadow was trapped-and he wasn't.

_SCREAM_ his mind frantically howled. _Scream scream-call out!_ And he did just that. Opening his mouth he finally released all his distress in blood curdling, desperately terrified yell. He screamed so loud his throat hurt and his eyes scrunched shut, a call for help his previously frozen lungs refused to provide air for. An epic howl wrenched from his throat, louder than any time he'd been before and completely overridden by the creatures own roar of rage.

The shadows shifting in and out of focus head produced a noise that Steve was certain would forever be ingrained in his mind, a horrible crackling cross that resembled an eagles high-pitched shriek and an ender dragons roar of challenge, a noise that ultimately shattered any of Steve's resolves.

Afterwards, Steve would've liked to say all hell broke loose, but the only recollection he could summon after were frazzled, panicked, and hazy.

The shadowy forms Steve had seen making their way to the house rattled and pressed their long bodies against the glass, glowing eyes and shadowy forms a blur that he flew passed down the hall and into another room, cutting off his sight of them.

A locked door and the yells of waking Aether Gods made up what seemed like hours of what was only seconds. Arms that lifted his horribly trembling and huddled form from behind a bookshelf into a relieved tight embrace, and the familiar airy sensation of teleporting to a bright area of the Overworld.

**? P.O.V**

A shadowy body curled itself against the top of a group of rafters, glowing eyes glaring vehemently at what remained of the diamond suit directly below. It had felt good to sink its claws into the nuisance that had trapped it for a short period of time. Enough time for the child to escape and its mission to fail.

The shadows dark lips peeled back in a feral snarl of frustration over its dripping fangs. The master had requested _only_ _one_ of the children. Not only had it failed to retrieve the innocent, but it had been_ seen_.

A feral snarl tore passed the beings lips as the thought of what failure would bring upon it. Only two things, _two things _defined its survival: utmost loyalty to the master's instructions and the need to be unseen- and it had _failed_ both.

Voices of adult beings made its wolf like ears prick and the barbs along its body rattle against its scales.

_So they finally wake…_

The master would surely know of its failure, to return empty-handed or not at all would result in its assured fate, a knowledge engraved in its cranium and being- its existence.

The shadow narrowed its eyes down at the mangled armor in contemplation, there had to be a way for it to retrieve the child tonight- there just had to be.

Long claws began to click along the rafter the shadows form wrapped around, nightmarish eyes bright in concentration.

Hissing a lashing its tail side to side, the creature prepared to leap down and tear after the Gods and child in a desperation only fear could bring- when a thought struck it from the _darkness it so enjoyed_. A brilliant, life altering idea caused its eyes to dim and its toes to curl. None of its brethren whom had witnessed its failure would betray the unlikeliness of losing the child and regaining it in the same night.

Once again, the lips curled back over the teeth, a deep inhale bathed its scent glands the smells of the heavenly world, casting out its senses for another heart rate- not one of the frantic Gods or Aether creatures. A smaller, still resting pulse was its reward.

Turning its long neck in the direction it had come from, the shadow ghosted through the rafters in silent, determined search of its newest target.

The master had requested one of the twins.

It would get one.

**A/N: That progressed a little too fast for my liking *shrugs* oh well. Sorry if it's all a little slow, I've got this kinda planned out… but mostly not. We're both going on an adventure here. Thank you so much for the awesome Follows/Reviews/Favorites! They totally make my day ^^. I'll try and make this story a little better, but again progression is slow D: My bad.**


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